justnorth posted on November 14, 2007 17:25 :: 1675 Views
The abandoned portion of Beltrami County Road 19 in Lake Bemidji State Park should be “in the pink” with showy lady’s slippers next summer. The living tribute to breast cancer survivors is a result of the cooperative efforts of Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, and a number of conservation-conscious volunteers.
The rare, pink and white orchids were rescued from a roadbed near Baudette, Minnesota, that is slated for construction next year. Mn/DOT crews noticed the blooms last summer and marked the location so the orchids could be located and transplanted in the fall, when the plants are dormant. According to Mn/DOT District Environmental Coordinator, Larry Puchalski, this is a common procedure.
“Mn/DOT considers lady’s slippers a state asset, so we make a concerted effort to transplant those that are likely to be damaged by roadwork,” says Puchalski. “Most of the plants (90% or more) are transplanted to parks and other public land, with the remaining being donated to botanical gardens or to groups with scientific or herbarium purposes.”
DNR Parks staff learned of the orchids and enlisted the help of a number of volunteer groups to assist Mn/DOT with the rescue mission.
The first group consisted of twelve women from Holy Trinity Lutheran Church of Ankeny, Iowa. The ladies received a short briefing on plant identification and roadside safety, then donned blaze orange vests, rubber boots and work gloves. With spades in hand, they headed out into the drizzle to dig the lady’s slippers from the steep ditches along Highway 11.
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Why would a dozen Iowa church ladies drive all the way to the Canadian border to dig orchids in the rain? Elaine Haugen, Parish Health Minister, organizes annual trips to Minnesota that include outdoor service projects as a way of promoting holistic health within their congregation. Haugen, a former Minnesota resident and active campground host at Lake Bemidji State Park, believes that getting out into nature can renew one’s spirit – rain or shine.
Indeed, the rain didn’t appear to dampen the group’s spirits. Within hours, they identified and dug well over 200 lady’s slippers, both pink-and-white and yellow varieties. The plants were placed in plastic bags and loaded onto a trailer for transport to their new beds.
In order to provide the best possible chances for survival, the orchids were dug, complete with root balls, and replanted within 24 hours by DNR Parks staff and a group of seven volunteers from Bemidji State University’s First Year Residential Experience (FYRE) program and two members of the Friends of Lake Bemidji State Park. The site chosen to receive the plants is the abandoned roadbed near Lavinia, Minnesota, which has been reclaimed through wetland restoration. It should provide the perfect sanctuary for these rare and beautiful flowers.
Inspired by the pink hats worn by some of the volunteers and a co-worker’s courageous fight against breast cancer, DNR NW Region Parks Resource Management Specialist, Chris Weir-Koetter, made the following dedication, “We dedicate the pink-and-white lady’s slippers that we salvaged and transplanted to the women who have had breast cancer. We hope they bloom in wild abandon each June for all to enjoy and remember.”
SIDEBAR:
The showy lady’s slipper (Cypripedium reginae) is Minnesota’s state flower and is one of 43 orchid species that grow in the state. Though rare, it can be found in spruce and tamarack bogs, swamps, wet meadows, wet prairies or cool, damp woods. The orchid can take 16 years to grow and bloom for the first time and can live 50 to even 100 years, under the right conditions. However, the plant is quite sensitive to hydrologic disturbances and has disappeared from much of its historical range due to habitat loss. It has been protected by Minnesota law since 1925 and it is illegal for private citizens to pick or uproot lady’s slippers from public lands without a permit.
Article Source:
http://justnorth.com/Articles/tabid/105/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/12/justnorth.aspx